


Naivety

by Spider_Man_Mando



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka and Rex are the best, Anakin was very sleep deprived during this time period, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Gen, Maul actually spilled the tea on Mandalore, Slight Siege of Mandalore AU, change my mind, i can't write summaries i'm sorry, like he should've
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 07:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29996154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spider_Man_Mando/pseuds/Spider_Man_Mando
Summary: ROTS Canon Divergence.On Mandalore, Maul has confronted Ahsoka and Rex with his Former Master's plans; the death of the Jedi, and the establishment of his new Empire with Anakin Skywalker at his side.Ahsoka and Rex have raced back to Coruscant, not knowing what to expect, and hoping they aren't too late to stop the tragic events from unfolding.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Kudos: 37





	Naivety

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest one-shot I've written in a while, so i hope it's okay. It was based off a prompt i saw online and had inspiration for. I'm not completely happy, but i wanted to post it.
> 
> Before this, I had no desire to touch ROTS with a four foot pole. I have read so many AUs for it that i didn't think it was a good idea for me to try it. There are so many strings attached, which is why i only wrote this one scene. I hope it's okay?
> 
> I am one of those people who loves to respond to their comments, so if you have any, i'd love to read them!
> 
> (Yes i know Ahsoka is spelt wrong in Palpatine's speaking. That's on purpose to mimic how he pronounces her name in Canon)

Ahsoka took a deep breath as the Senate Building came into view. Rex put a calming hand on her shoulder even as the anxious tilt of his helmet contradicted the movement. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do if we don’t get there in time.”

“I know.”

Ahsoka flew through the lanes of traffic, intermittent yelling chasing them on the wind as they sped to the Chancellor’s office. It was just the two of them; Ahsoka didn’t want to risk anyone else, and Rex insisted he wasn’t letting her go by herself. 

As they got closer, she could see 3 fuzzy figures behind the darkened glass. Ahsoka steeled her nerves, handing off the controls of the speeder. Rex took them unquestioningly. She stood up, crouching on top of the seat, readying her sabers.  
She leapt.

Ahsoka’s lightsabers shattered the glass as she came barreling into the Chancellor’s office. She allowed herself a brief sense of sorrow at the two dead bodies of the Jedi Masters, and a flicker of suppressed hope at the flickering light of Kit Fisto. Focusing back on the scene in front of her, she let loose loud guttural sounds as she stalked towards Sidious.

“Ahsoka?!” Anakin and Mace looked at her in surprise. Anakin stared at her, aghast, “What-What are you doing here?!”

Ahsoka hissed as she got closer to Sidious, “Get behind me Anakin.”

“That’s the Chancellor! What are you doing?”

Rex jumped into the room; blasters aimed at the threat. Sidious’ yellow eyes glowed as he glared at them.

“He’s about to commit genocide against the Vode and the Jedi using you!”

“What?” Anakin glanced between Sidious and the positions Rex and Ahsoka had taken while they gradually inched toward the Sith. Mace, figuring it was a good idea to work with the allies in the room, no matter previous disagreements, joined them. The steady hum of the lightsabers echoed in the room, joining the already singing tension.

Sidious snarled, face twisting with the motion, “Ashoka Tano, Commander Rex; I was hoping my former apprentice could have handled you.”

“We live to disappoint, Sidious,” Ahsoka smirked grimly.

Anakin stared, emotions warring on his face, “What do you mean, Ahsoka, Rex? He promised me he was going to save Padme.”

Palpatine’s voice once again appeared, “I will; join me and I will teach you how to save Padme!”

A muffled curse came from Mace’s corner.

Ahsoka and Rex both grimaced. Anakin had never been levelheaded about Padme’s safety, and with a Sith manipulating him, it was going to be 10 times worse. While he and Ahsoka couldn’t be sure Padme wasn’t in some sort of danger, with Sidious parroting Anakin’s cries… Well. Rex didn’t trust the Sith as far as he could throw him.

If they weren’t careful, the situation was going to blow. Rex yelled desperately, “He’s lying! General, please, you must believe us. The Vode depend on it. You’ve never let us down before, don’t do it now.”

Anakin had only felt this conflicted once before in his life, and he had never wanted to repeat the experience. Now, gazing at his brother and sister, and his one hope for saving Padme and his child, his brain screamed. The sky darkened as the lightsabers cast shadows across his face, red, purple, blue. 

His wife and child, or his Vode? 

The Dark or the Light? 

Anakin trembled. His legs quivered. 

“You wouldn’t kill them all, right? Because they’re important to me. You know how important they are to me,” Anakin shuddered, a single tear trailing down his face. He glanced desperately at Sidious, “If you have any compassion for me at all, please…I can’t lose any of them.”

Sidious cackled. His words came out as swords.

“Foolish boy. Did you think I ever actually cared about you? The only reason I cared about you was because I saw your true potential. Your power. And your place beside me as my greatest Apprentice!”

Obviously done with all this talking, Sidious unleashed a volley of force lightning at the four beings in the room. They all cried out, howling as the force itself electrified their veins. He stopped momentarily on Anakin, but continued his assault on Mace, Ahsoka and Rex.

“Join me, and we can rule the galaxy. I’ll save Padme and your child. I might even spare some of the traitors for you. But you must JOIN ME!”

Anakin struggled to his knees. He panted, “What…What about the Vode?”

Sidious stopped the force lightning, and his victims wheezed from their crouched positions on the ground. He huffed in disgust, “What worth do some clones have? They were nothing but a means to an end.”

Anakin could feel the veil slowly peeling from his eyes. Horror filled him, realizing just what type of terrible being was in front of him.

“How dare you say that about the Vode! I… I trusted you!”

“Sweet, naïve little boy. Trust is for children. Exactly what I took advantage of with you. So trusting, so lost,” Sidious jeered, shattered glass crunching beneath his shoes as he moved, “A fresh slave boy off Tatooine. I molded you into my vision.” Sidious stopped in front of Mace, stabbing a killing blow. He kicked Rex’s head into the red carpet. Roughly, he latched a vice-like grip onto one of Ahsoka’s montrals, tugging her head up. Anakin screamed when Rex’s helmeted head hit the carpet with an audible thud. Tears leaked down his face as Ahsoka glared defiantly up at the Sith Lord.

“Where has trust gotten you, my boy? You have become my soldier, and you will accept that.”

Ahsoka peered at Anakin, pushing calm and balance along their training bond, “I know you can make the right decision, Skyguy. Don’t let him do this.”

_Boom_

“He won’t have to,” Sidious collapsed in on himself, his lightsaber flying from his loose fingers into Obi-Wan’s, skimming off Ahsoka’s beskar pauldron. Obi-Wan stood in the light of the setting Coruscant sun, the outline of his silhouette glowing. 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin shakily uttered from the ground where he had collapsed like a doll without strings.

“I’m here Anakin.”

Ahsoka crawled out from underneath Sidious’ prone body. She huddled over to Rex, pulling his helmet off. He probably had a slight concussion, but otherwise seemed fine. He grinned minutely up at her. She returned the gesture, relief pouring over her. Ahsoka and Rex's eyes moved to where Obi-Wan was crouching next to Anakin, arm slung over his former padawan’s shoulder, “Thank-you for believing us. And coming.”

Obi-Wan smiled fleetingly, “I will always come. Did I not say that we’re better together?”

“That you did, that you did.”

The 212th poured into the room through the broken windows. Medics went to help Kit Fisto, who was still hanging onto life. Cody stood in the middle of the room directing his men, relief emanating into the Force as he glimpsed Rex.

“Master,” Anakin frantically clutched Obi-Wan’s robes, “Padme. I need to know she’s okay. She’s pregnant and I keep seeing her die, over and over again. It keeps taunting me like the dreams about my Mother. She can’t die. Palpatine was the only one,” his voice cracked, “the only one who said he could stop it.” 

Anakin turned and sobbed into Obi-Wan’s shoulder, muttering, “She can’t die,” on repeat. 

“I am so sorry you’ve been going through this alone,” Obi-Wan hugged Anakin. He stated calmly, with a strong sense of surety, “She won’t die. I will do my utmost to ensure it.”

And as they all stood in the ruined Chancellor’s office together, Coruscant’s sun basking them in her final rays, Ahsoka knew there was a long road ahead. But that was for later. 

Focusing on the now, she was just so glad she asked Maul more questions. She didn’t want to think about what would have happened otherwise. Ahsoka shuddered; she’d stared into the eyes of that abyss, and it had stared back. At least now she got to tell the tale.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback, notes, queries? Please leave them below. I appreciate it :)


End file.
